The Portland daily press., 1887-07-06
UP IN a BALLOON.
A Reporters Vivid Account of His
First Aerial Trip.
An Experience Desired ONLY Once
in a Life.

The following description Of the balloon
trip was written by the Portland correspond
ent of the Boston Globe who was with Prof.
Grimly:
"This has been the second most exciting
and dangerous trip of my life," said Prof.
Charles II. Grimly, the distinguished aero
naut, this evening, as he reclined in bed,
forced there on account of the drenohed
state of his clothes. The fact is the Pro-
fessor when he agreed to come here and
make an ascent on the Fourth of July did
not calculate on taking trip down Casco
Bay, or the turning of his air ship into
sailing vessel. In fact he probably didn't
calculate on good many things which hap
pened Monday.
The largest crowd Lincoln Park ever held
assembled at o'clock Monday afternoon to
see the balloon off. Prof. Grimly was ac-
companied by the Portland correspondent of
the Boston Globe, who, by the way, got
enough of ballooning Monday afternoon to
last him from this time to the silent grave.
When the balloon concluded to rise at all
from the earth, all of the sand bags save
seven had been thrown out, and worse than
all the two life preservers were left behind.
AT last the balloon started and managed to
move forward few feet above the ground.
Hold on. Go back" said the Professor,
andthose who held the ropes obeyed until
~&drther backward movement was rendered
impossible by the dense pressure of the
crowd AT last real start was made, but
before the balloon reached upper air it went
clash against mass of telephone and tele-
graph wires. To those on the ground it
seemed that the further progress of the bal
loon was to be arrested and the cheers Of the
multitude were changed to cries of fear, but
the arrest was but for moment. Down
went the wires and ON went the balloon.
The wind for the next few minutes was
for the outlook of the balloon. magnificent.
All indications pointed at first to a safe and
uneventful passage across a section of the
Bay to the main land, and Professor Grimly
was congratulating himself on seeing Casco
Bay with its hundreds of islands spread out
in panoramic view before him, but on as
cending higher the balloon struck current
blowing oceanward, and despite all he could
do was going rapidly out to sea. The great
ASibhe w WihiSh tnC DdllOOu udu IedCuGQ
may bein some measure indicated by the
fact that when it passed over the great
French sloop of war Bouvet, now in this
harbor, it seemed but toy affair.
The balloon had now attained a great speed.
With all the steamer-like turnings, the drift
ing that had characterized its movements at
first, and the vagaries Of the strangely con-
trasted air currents it made the passage from
Lincoln Park to opposite the Waldo House,
seven miles down the harbor in Is minutes.
But it had attained a dangerous rate of
speed and had reached dangerous point.
The air-current it had encountered was taxi
ing 1T out to the open ocean, and that meant
death within the next few hours, at the
farthest, to the two men in the air ship.
Professor Grimly saw that no matter at what
risk thesballoon must come down, and obey
ing his touch on the valve line the balloon at
that time sweeping along at height of 5000
ieet was II made to take downward course,
over, one of the small Islands opposite or
nearly so to Underwood Cove, the Professor
let go the drag line, and on nearing Clap
board Island sure to be struck he began to
hope that the hayward balloon might be
stopped. 1t had become impossible to cal
culate on the lower air currents. The wind
now blew seward down the coast
hey see u.s." said the Professor, point
ing to number of men who were running
from different sections of the island to the
point toward which the balloon was drifting.
Back, behind, the drag rope curled and
twisted about, leaving behind it very sea
serpent-like wake.
Catch the rope" shouted the Professor.
All right Cap'n." replied painting farm
er, who, with some difficulty, had arrived
on the scene. He caught the rope but it
was plain that he could do but little.
Hurry up there; hurry up" shouted the
aeronaut as he bent over the side of the bas-
ket and beckoned to other farmers who
were still far in the road.
II can't hold her," shouted the man at the
Put the rope around that rock" replied
the Professor, whose danger-trained mind
had already taken in all the points in the
situation. The order was obeyed and the
balloon came down on the rocks and bound.
ca around for considerable time much to
the discomfort of those ON board Then the
wind rose again ana the balloon bounded up
ward and strained with wonderful
power on the rope, which had been passed
around the boulder and securely fastened.
For second the rope resisted the mighty
pressure and then parted as if it had been
but cord. The balloon, released, went up,
stood still for little space, and then, feeling
the influence OF the strong wind. went for
ing the basket completely beneath the
his companion.
:. 1t is almost impossible to give an ADEQUATE
diisc,rlpton OF the scene following this header
OF the Columbus" 1t dashed through the
water at a terrific rate and the strain was
tremendous. But thread was between the
the two wet and sorely pounded men and
death. There was but one question, "Can
the balloon endure this and not burstP"
HAD IL given III pVOul1 houa
basket to the bottom like lead, and the Pro-
fessor and the Globe man would have gone
down also. Under the circumstances it
would have been impossible for them to have
basket
Ahead, on the mainland, appeared the
rocks OF Princes Point and the reaching of
that point, come what would, was the evil
dent salvation Of the men in the balloon and
the balloon itself. From the place where
the balloon then lay to the Point, is, as the
farmers say, "a good three miles as the crow
flies" The columbus" didn't 60 as the
crow flies but in far different way, making
desperate attempts to. 60. down the Bay.
NOW rlghting, then rising for second or SO
above the water. then down plunging be-
meath the waves again. pitching, turning,
swaylng in the widest manner. Not one
mile but several miles in its erratic course
from the time it took water was made by the
balloon before it was driven up against the
rocks Of Princes Point
Look across the water" said the Profess
SCR; We're seen. Help is coming.'
The help came in the form of yacht. The
wind was in their favor and soon the two
who were in the Mermaid were within
hailing distance.
Catch that liDe," shouted Professor Glim-
ley. 0'-'"-
The line was caught and lost
TRY again."
This time it was almost caught but not
quite.
The balloon made desperate attempt to
go up and did rise perhaps 40 to 30 feet, but
the great weight now attached brought her
down and she recommended her wild strug
gle. The wind was much higher than at
first, the waves were of great power and the
danger much increased.
Wen stand by you" came from the yacht.
and one-half the feeling of oppression was
lifted. IL the worst came it would now be
possible to swim from the settling balloon
thus escape.
The balloon at last struck the rocks of
Princes Point, and picnic party and neigh
boring farmers came flocking to the rescue.
They settled down around the balloon and
selling the ropes first and then the sides of
the basket held the air ship down until the
greater part of the remaining gas escaped.